Sunday, March 18, 2012

Yoga Pose of the Day: Bound Fan Pose

After a long Sunday run, the Bound Fan Pose will be a huge relief to your legs, especially the insides of your legs and your hamstrings.


1-Take a wide stance, keeping your feet parallel.
2-Interlace your hands behind your back. This is a good time to be sure that your shoulders are activated, down away from your ears and moving into your spine and lower back. You want your torso straight and lengthened.
3-With a slight bend in your knees, take an exhalation and bend at your hips. Keep your back straight and lengthened. Lead with your chest, not your head!
4-As you fold your chest forward, down towards the floor and between your legs, focus on activating the insides of your legs and your hamstrings. By engaging the muscles you want to stretch, you protect them and further increase their flexibility during the stretch.
5-When your chest has come down as far as you can take it, begin to straighten your legs, but only to the point that you feel a good stretch in the back of your legs. If you push too far, you will hurt your knees and your muscles. Also, you need to keep your back straight.
6-Don't forget your arms behind your back! You want to extend your hands, still interlaced, straight upwards to the ceiling, giving your shoulders a nice stretch.
7-Hold this pose for five to seven breaths. On your next exhalation, slowly bring yourself back upright, bending only at the hips and keeping your back straight.

Namaste.

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